Earthquake in Turkey: In Antioch, the Church Still Stands

Antakya – the ancient Antioch on the Orontes of the Acts of the Apostles – is in the Turkish province of Hatay less than 200 kilometers from Gaziantep, the urban area closest to the epicenter of the earthquake which caused death in Syria and Turkey.

Antioch now has 200,000 inhabitants, the overwhelming majority of whom are Muslims, since the number of Christians is estimated at only 1,200 – around 250 families – mostly of the Orthodox confession.

Fr. Francis Dondu is a Capuchin monk; he is also the parish priest of the Catholic parish of St. Peter and St. Paul and was able to join one of his colleagues in ministry in Istanbul, in order to tell him the story of the disaster which fell on the city on February 6 last.

“The situation in Antioch is dramatic,” warns the religious. “Entire buildings have collapsed, mosques and churches have been destroyed. There are dead people and people buried under the rubble, and in many places no one has yet arrived to try to save them.

“It is freezing cold, there is no light, no water, the bread ovens have been destroyed, the shops are closed. The streets, full of debris, are impassable even for emergency vehicles. They tell me that at least half of the city has been destroyed or has suffered serious damage, especially in the oldest part.”

In this apocalyptic universe, however, a miracle took place: “Our parish church remains standing. The building, which is not very tall, withstood the impact of the tremors. Only the guesthouse suffered significant damage. But the mosque and the minaret which were right next to the parish collapsed. Two important mosques in the city were also destroyed, as well as the Orthodox Church and the Protestant Church.”

Since then, in the ruins of Antioch, among the destroyed religious buildings, St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic church has opened its doors to welcome the inhabitants who have become homeless: “Families feel safe there because the parish has a garden which offers an immediately accessible escape route in the event of an aftershock, but there is a need for tents and food,” explains the Capuchin.

It is quite symbolic that the Catholic parish is still standing, we remember that it was there, in Antioch, that the first Church was founded by St. Peter - even before that of Rome - and that the disciples of Christ took the name of “Christians.”

It was also in Antioch that Paul settled for several years, with his stay interspersed with travels. And finally, it was in this city that the scene of the controversy between St. Peter and St. Paul took place, a quarrel recounted in the Epistle to the Galatians (2:11): “But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.”

The golden age of Christianity in Antioch extended through the Byzantine period, until 562: a terrible earthquake then caused the death of 200,000 people, and marked the decline of the first Christian Church.

Mamluk Baybars I conquered the city in 1268 and had it largely demolished: nothing remains of the Byzantine period, except for the mosaics in the museum and the rock-hewn church of St. Peter, with a facade that was added in the 11th century.

Nevertheless, the Christian heritage of the city continues, despite a worrying decrease in the number of faithful: Antioch is still the seat of two Orthodox patriarchates and three Catholic patriarchates.